Test run for yeerk drone vehicles: one

[screamsofstars]

((from here))

Starscream's moving as soon as her feet hit the floor of her lab, weaving briskly in and out among the stations where her assistants and drones are working.

"This way," she tells the human host who's following her with the bucket containing his squad mates. "Through this door."

Silence falls over them as they enter her private sanctum, which is currently dominated by three tables in the middle of the room. On each of those tables is what looks like a body covered from the chest down with a sheet. One of them is a dead ringer for a certain human woman named Natasha Stanton. Another is a fair haired male, and the third is a dark skinned male with strong features.

"Set the bucket here." She turns to look at him, her expression saying that she expects to be obeyed.

Comments

[in-the-cracks.livejournal.com]

Aftran Three-Zero-Zero (or Three for short) is confused but hiding it as he looks around their route. All the robots - strange-looking hosts - and then the bodies.

He looks surprised and wary at the command. But as far as he knows she's still a superior officer, and better she do something dodgy to someone else than execute him for mutiny.

He moves over to put the bucket down, then hesitates. "What's your rank, sir?"

[screamsofstars.livejournal.com]

"In this place I am supreme visser." She turns to push down the sheet on the fair haired body and open its chest, then turns back and takes the cover off the bucket to look inside.

[screamsofstars.livejournal.com]

"Take it out and put it in the other male shell," Starscream orders Three.

[in-the-cracks.livejournal.com]

He nods, then inspects the bucket. Identifying other Yeerks from a host form takes long familiarity and practice, but it's only a minute before he lifts out one, sniffs it to be sure, and takes it over to the spare drone. He leans down to murmur in the ear as it stirs, aiming to fill Five in before it has to talk.

[screamsofstars.livejournal.com]

Starscream shrugs and walks over to hold a device over the cranial unit of the shell that Five is using, her calibrations and adjustments perhaps causing slight dizziness to the yeerk inside. "I needed test subjects, and decided to take the first ones that came my way. Don't disconnect, I won't get proper readings if you do."

[in-the-cracks.livejournal.com]

Five grits its teeth and stays where it is. "So you're offering us this technology, and your price is simply that we not turn on you?"

[screamsofstars.livejournal.com]

"As long as I need you." The scientist's reply is also in ultrasonics, and she makes note of the receptivity of the shells' ability to pick up the frequencies and nods with satisfaction.

The body responds beautifully. It's also sending a request for fuel.

[in-the-cracks.livejournal.com]

Five hides its surprise, realising that Starscream will probably detect it anyway and being annoyed by that. So she knows our language... "And how long do you estimate that will be?"

Dallesh sits up, flexing joints and inspecting its new interior. "It's... hungry."

Three watches his squadmate in surprise. "How come you can move?"

[screamsofstars.livejournal.com]

The small femme looks toward her interrogator, arching a brow. "That is another of my prototype shells. Where else should it be if not in the lab where I'm building it, hmmm?"

[in-the-cracks.livejournal.com]

"It bears a close resemblance to one of our people," Five points out, eyeing her suspiciously.

"Telrim Four-whatever," Three says suddenly, looking to Five, then to Starscream. "You mentioned her name."

[screamsofstars.livejournal.com]

"There must be a problem with the hearing on that darker shell," notes Starscream, her shrill voice thoughtful as she gently lifts Dallesh with one hand and absently strokes its head with a finger. "Or you just misunderstood me. How else am I to test the blond shell with your reactions if you're not in it? Now stop dragging your non-existent feet and get out of there."

[in-the-cracks.livejournal.com]

The Yeerk in her hand squirms gently and lifts its head to investigate the source of touch with its palps.

Three holds back a soft snicker as Five scowls and begins to detach. The drone's face goes slack.

[screamsofstars.livejournal.com]

"(It still wouldn't be pleasant.)" She quirks a grin at the tasting, then completes the short trip to the other table. "(I'm setting you down now.)"

[in-the-cracks.livejournal.com]

Dallesh is blinking at the sight almost as much as Three is.

"(Very well.)" Five obligingly slithers into the new shell when placed there.

[screamsofstars.livejournal.com]

Of course it tastes different. This is a different time and place, and it was made for a different people. But the sweet and spicy flavor of the sandwich and its filling is still strangely delicious.

//Well?// Starscream asks him, then takes a peek at what Dallesh is doing through the room security cam.

[in-the-cracks.livejournal.com]

"This is good," Three says happily, around a mouthful of alien sandwich. Five shoots him a look that's part disapproving, part dismayed.

And meanwhile Dallesh is having a high old time with its bits of wire and components. It's on its second attempt at assembly now.

[screamsofstars.livejournal.com]

//You'd be surprised,// says Starscream dryly, remembering double crosses from other Decepticons back in her distant past.

"Good. Good. Feel free to test it out." Starscream subspaces the datapad and pulls out the scanner again. "So, the other one, someone expendable?"

[in-the-cracks.livejournal.com]

//Still... I doubt it would try.// Not unless it could repeat the procedure for interested superiors.

Five decides to go for a little stroll around the room, considering the question. "No," she decides finally, almost reluctantly. "Not part of our division."

[screamsofstars.livejournal.com]

"It doesn't hurt to mesh with other races in the fuel department." Starscream smiles thinly. "And we aren't 'artificial' anything."

[in-the-cracks.livejournal.com]

"No." Five looks at its hands. "This all seems real enough."

For a strange dream.

[screamsofstars.livejournal.com]

Two out of four are happy as clams, and the extra is being gently fussed over by a drone with orders to care for it. Starscream smiles inwardly as she works, then comments in a conversational voice, "Superior officers can be idiots sometimes."

[in-the-cracks.livejournal.com]

Five looks up at her, frowning sharply. "It happens. In our society, their superiors deal with them."

[screamsofstars.livejournal.com]

"Several, actually." Starscream glances to see if Five has any chips left.

[in-the-cracks.livejournal.com]

There's a few small ones and crumbs left, abandoned so Five can gawp at her, eheh, host (non-Yeerk definition). "How... how big is this thing?"

[screamsofstars.livejournal.com]

"Shortly afterward the mech responsible for that series of little pranks stumbled across myself and my partner and was moved to invite me to grace their cause with my presence." Starscream checks on the others again.

[in-the-cracks.livejournal.com]

Five nods thoughtfully. "So you defected."

[screamsofstars.livejournal.com]

"And how do you foresee attaining that?" She opens the Natasha shell's chest and tinkers with the sensor nest.

[in-the-cracks.livejournal.com]

"By neutralising all our opposition, to begin with." Five gives her a slanted look. "I don't know all the plans of vissers and Councilors: all I have to focus on is the invasion of Earth."

[screamsofstars.livejournal.com]

"You nearly seemed flexible enough to have the makings of a good leader."

[in-the-cracks.livejournal.com]

"I'm flexible," Five objects. "When it's a good time to be."

[screamsofstars.livejournal.com]

"I've nothing against leaders, or listening to them. If they make sense."

[in-the-cracks.livejournal.com]

"And you're saying ours don't. And that I should disagree with them."

[screamsofstars.livejournal.com]

"Apparently... enabled Phil to see." Starscream's shrill voice is positively full of glee. "I hadn't foreseen this happening!"

[in-the-cracks.livejournal.com]

"That's not her name," Five mutters in absent disapproval, attention still on the... contraption attached to the hostless Yeerk. For some reason Dallesh is carrying its friend around in its hand - showing it the room. I suppose the little xenophile would want to see any room at all. Not that she'd be different, if she was lost and given the chance to look at her surroundings. "Yes, that's the kind of toy Dallesh would come up with."